U23 WNT opens 2017 with California camp

by U.S. Soccer

January 5, 2017

The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team will kick off its 2017 programming with a 30-player camp running from Jan. 6-13 at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, Calif.

The roster is a mixture of top players from the U.S. Youth National Teams, elite college players and four NWSL players. The camp features players from seven different birth years, ranging from 1994 (which is the age cut-off for this year’s U-23 WNT) to 2000, which is when midfielder Brianna Pinto, who played in last year’s U-17 Women’s World Cup, was born.

U.S. WNT head coach Jill Ellis and her staff will observe several training sessions to evaluate players for potential full Women’s National Team call-ups.

Ten players on the roster have appeared for the USA in a FIFA Women’s World Cup at the youth level, led by 2016 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year Ashley Sanchez, who played in both the U-17 and U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments last year.

Two players from the USA’s 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Team were named in goalkeeper Laurel Ivory and Pinto, while Casey Murphy, the USA’s starting goalkeeper at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup was also called up.

The NWSL players are recent Seattle Reign signee Madalyn Schiffel, who is one of four goalkeepers in camp, Samantha Witteman of the Orlando Pride, Erica Skroski of Sky Blue FC and Makenzy Doniak of reigning NWSL champions Western New York Flash.

Only one player in camp owns a full WNT cap, BYU senior Ashley Hatch, who made her WNT debut as a substitute against Switzerland on Oct. 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sanchez trained with the full WNT for a few days in Orlando, Fla., last year.

The roster includes three players from the 2016 NCAA Champion University of Southern California Trojans in midfielder Morgan Andrews and defenders Kayla Mills and Mandy Freeman.

Numerous players on the roster are expected to be taken in the 2017 NWSL Draft that will be held on January 12 in Los Angeles.

U-23 Women’s National Team Roster by Position:

GOALKEEPERS (4): Laurel Ivory (West Florida Flames; Surfside, Fla.), Casey Murphy (Rutgers; Bridgewater, N.J.), Madalyn Schiffel (Seattle Reign FC; Citrus Heights, Calif.), Hannah Seabert (Pepperdine; Riverside, Calif.)

DEFENDERS (8): Maddie Bauer (Stanford; Newport Beach, Calif.), Mandy Freeman (USC; Royal Palm Beach, Fla.), Tavia Leachman (Utah; Long Beach, Calif.), Kayla Mills (USC; West Covina, Calif.), Sydney Miramontez (Nebraska; Lenexa, Kan.), Gabrielle Seiler (Florida; Peachtree City, Ga.), Erica Skroski (Sky Blue FC; New Brunswick, N.J.), Samantha Witteman (Orlando Pride; Redondo Beach, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (11): Morgan Andrews (USC; Milford, N.H.), Tierna Davidson (Stanford; Menlo Park, Calif.), Jordan DiBiasi (Stanford; Littleton, Colo.), Meggie Dougherty Howard (Florida; Largo, Fla.), Tyler Lussi (Princeton; Lutherville, Md.), Ifeoma Onumonu (California; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Toni Payne (Duke; Birmingham, Ala.), Brianna Pinto (CASL; Durham, N.C.), Margaret Purce (Harvard; Silver Spring, Md.), Morgan Proffitt (Marquette; Columbus, Ind.), Ashley Sanchez (So Cal Blues; Monrovia, Calif.)

FORWARDS (7): Makenzy Doniak (Western New York Flash; Chino Hills, Calif.), Danica Evans (Colorado; Lakewood, Colo.), Ashley Hatch (BYU; Gilbert, Ariz.), Sarah Luebbert (Missouri; Jefferson City, Mo.), Savannah McCaskill (South Carolina; Chapin, S.C.), Hailey Skolmoski (Utah; Riverton, Utah), Crystal Thomas (Georgetown; Elgin, Ill.)